Subj : Re: NFS vs. Samba
To   : comp.os.linux
From : Gerald Meazell
Date : Sun Dec 19 2004 01:25 am

Sybren Stuvel wrote:

>Well, I looked at 'man smb.conf' and searched for 'wins'. The first
>hit is on the 'max ttl' option, and tells me:
>
>	 This option tells smbd(8) when acting as a WINS server (wins
>	 support = yes)
>
>So at the first hit, it tells me that 'wins support = yes' will make
>Samba act like a WINS server. What more do you need to know?
>  
>
>Sorry, but how can you be in the IT industry for 13 years, and miss
>such an obvious option in the most obvious manual page?
>  
>
You see, that's the problem.  That bit of text means absolutely nothing 
to a novice.  To you, it is clear as day.  I was a programmer for 13 
years.  I picked up a little bit of SMB networking along the way as well 
as a little TCP/IP.  This exercise has exhausted all that knowledge and 
left me wanting.

>I've learned how to use Linux, and I've never been anybody's
>apprentice. I learned everything the hard way.
>  
>
That's what I'm trying to do as well.  However, if nobody answers your 
questions with even so much as a RTFM, how is one supposed to learn?

>Then you need to learn how to read first.
>  
>
I have read.  I've read until my head was spinning.  Hence my remark 
about drowning in a sea of documentation.

>That is something I can understand. First things first: always start
>with the manual pages.
>  
>
I've started there on many a question.  It covers the basics very well, 
but does not address exceptions.

>Nope, indeed. Make up your mind, though: first you complain about the
>sea of documentation, which is so large you get lost. Then you call
>for even more documentation!
>  
>
It's a sea of basic documentation.  I have specific problems.

>
>Answer this question thruthfully, please. Are _you_ going to write a
>document entitled "Connecting Windows XP to a Samba server over a
>VPN", once you figured out how to do that?
>  
>
If I knew where to publish such a thing, I would.

>I can imagine. Instead of looking for a complete solution, try taking
>smaller steps. Those steps will have more in common with other
>problems, and thus are more likely to be covered already.
>
>  
>
I did.   Here was my method:

1. I got the VPN working to where my external Windows boxes could 
connect to my internal Windows boxes.

2. I got my internal Windows boxes to connect to my Samba server.

3. Now I want my external Windows boxes to connect to my Samba server.  
Unfortunately, that's not happening.

4. After some reading, I determined that I needed a WINS server.

5. After more reading, I determined that setting wins server = yes in 
smb.conf would do that.

6. With that done, my external Windows boxes still could not connect.  
However, the message changed from "Path not found" to "Access Denied."

7. Checked the Samba server config to make sure the passwords were 
correct.  They were.

Questions:

Why is it not working?

Is there a way to test the Samba server's WINS function or do I have to 
just take it on faith that it's working?

Are there ports that need to be opened up on my router?  139 has been 
open.  Do 137 and 138 need to be open as well?

The external client is running a firewall.  Could that be the issue?  
Turned it off today.  Didn't help.

What configuration needs to take place on the external Windows box?  
Lmhosts?  Specify the WINS server in TCP/IP configuration?  Both?  Did 
both.  No help.

I come to usenet for help with these issues and all I get is "Dude, you 
need to learn to read."   I have read but now I've hit a wall.  If there 
are man pages or online docs to address these issues, I'd sure like to 
know where they are.  Perhaps I put my problem in too simple of terms 
and made it appear as if I had not done *any* investigation.  If that's 
the case, I apologize.

--
Gerald

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